While He's Away
by Nouk-san
Summary: While Ichigo is in prison, Rukia and her friends try to help him. Can they help him escape?


"Yeah, that's true," Rukia smiled.

Rukia, Inoue, Sado and Ishide were sitting in a lawn. It was beautiful over here, the sun was shining, and they were talking about Ichigo. Ichigo, who was disappeared two weeks ago. They finally found out were he could be, with the help of Urahara, of course.

"But when are we going to save Ichigo?" Rukia asked seriously.

She couldn't let Ichigo go, and wanted to save him as soon as possible. It maybe could be hard, but she knew they could save him. This because they had saved her, Inoue and Sado too. So, why couldn't they save him? Maybe they were a little bit afraid.. Ichigo always was the strongest man. And now he was gone..

"So soon as possible," Ishida answered.

He never liked Ichigo very much, but he couldn't stand it that he was away, away from the people who are here in this lawn. He liked Inoue, Sado and Rukia and he wanted to help them out of problems, so also with saving Ichigo.

"Maybe we can go to Urahara in 10 minutes?"

"Yeah, that's okay. I'm ready to do it," Inou answered.

Everybody looked at her, the only thing she could do, was healing them. And, if she needed to do that, it took a lot of energy from her. So, she was one of the persons who could decide to go. They all stood up and start walking to Urahara's shop.

But what they didn't know, was that someone from the place were Ichigo was, were following them. It should be hard to save Ichigo, but it must be possible.

"Hi, youngsters," Urahara smiled like he always did.

"We're ready," Rukia said.

"You are? That's very quickly.."

"Show us the gate, captain," Ishida looked seriously.

It was clear they were ready, and also they wanted to hurry up. 'Cuz how long should Ichigo still be alive? They didn't know that world, what that world could do to him.

"Follow me," Urahara said and he smiled still like always.

Rukia, Ishida, Sado and Inoue followed him, they were going outside through the backdoor. There they were before, except Rukia. This was the place were they were going to the gate to Soul Society, to save Rukia.

"The gate is ready for opening," Urahara said.

Rukia, Inoue, Ishida and Sado were looking at each other, yes, they were ready to go to the other side of the gate. It might be hard over there, they needed to fight with their lives. Also, there was no food, no drinks for them, it was totally a different world.

Rukia closed her eyes and she saw Ichigo in her mind, yes, she was ready. Ready to fight to save him, ready to let him free.

"Yes, do it!"

Urahara smiled, and opened the gate.

"Run, Inoue! Run!"

Now, they were in the gate, and they needed to run to come to the another side. Inoue closed her eyes for a while, then she stood up and started to run again.

Finally! The other opening of the gate! But what could they expect of this side? Could they live over there? Was there a change Ichigo wasn't alive anymore? No, they must think the best! First, they needed to close the gate now, when they all were on the other side.

A week, Urahara had said. They would be here for a week, no more, and then go, with or without Ichigo. It was risky, there might be a change they didn't survive this world, but Rukia never thought of this. She wanted to save him, just like he saved her from dead.

"Close the gate!" Rukia yelled, when they were on the other side.

When the gate was closed, there was no way home anymore. They would stay for a week, with a change to take Ichigo home.

"Welcome"

A low voice called them. On that moment, everything turned in black and white. They all blinked, they couldn't see for a while. How could you live in a world with black and white? Rukia thought. She hoped Ichigo was fine..

The voice said nothing anymore, and they started to walk. Their eyes got used by the black and white things around them. Even they were in black and white by now, it was a little bit scary..

"I'm hungy" Sado said.

It was the first time they said something in this world, and it felt like it was hours ago when the entered. Rukia looked at him, full compassion. There was no food in this world, so she hoped Ichigo was fine, he hadn't something to eat...

In the three days which followed after entering the black and white world, they were walking, walking through nothing, walking through black and white. But no, there was a different pattern between the black and white lines. They were close to the thing were Ichigo was, but also close to the things which lived over here. They kept an eye open, for the case that.

In the quietness there was a moment ago, so blunt it was now. Monsters, unknown monsters for them, attacked them. In a reflex, Inoue had screamed that she rejected the "people" in her pin, so they were protected against the monsters for a while. Rukia caught her sword, Sado reased his arms and Ishida reased his bowl. The attack started, but there were a lot of monsters..

"Inoue!" Rukia yelled.

She couldn't see the "people" from Inoue's pins, but she did know she called them to attack now. Inoue looked at her en Rukia shook her head. Inoue closed her eyes, and was going on.

"Inoue! Don't! You're our protection and healing person, you don't have to fight! Let us do that dirty work, please," Rukia screamed to her.

Finally Inoue would listen en stopped with her attack. She continued protecting the others and hoped the monsters would be soon dead.. And it took a while, but finally all the monsters were destroyed by her friends. And the group? They started walk again, into the black and white city...

"So, you are the friends of Ichigo?" a woman asked.

Rukia nodded and kneeled. She knew this was the queen and she also knew this was the woman who needed to be destroyed if they wanted to save Ichigo... She was the one who gave the instructions to the monsters. Also they other three of them kneeled and the queen started laughing.

"Do you think it is that easy?" she said mean.

One for one she looked at them, with a evil laugh, evil smile and evil look. Rukia knew it would be hard to kill her, to have her trust...

"No! Lock them!" she laughed mean.

The guards who were standing in front of the queen came to them and caught them all by the arms. After that, they were dragged to the dungeons. But there were other prisoners, many other prisoners. Maybe a few hundred..

"Is it possible Ichigo is here too?" Sado looked around.

"It is possible, but that would be too easy, don't you think?" Ishida said.

"But all of their prisoners are here, you see..." Rukia said.

Inoue was quiet, she was looking around, for a face that looked like Ichigo. It would be hard to find him, because everything was still black and white. Maybe Ichigo saw them and called them? No, he was here for more than a week, he probably was weak, very weak.

They started looking for him, maybe it was possible. They needed to find him. The fourth day was almost over, so they had just another three days, and they needed to go back too.

"Ichigo!" Inoue screamed.

She hoped he would answer. But that answer she expected, did not came. Of course he wouldn't answer, she thought. He was weak, he hadn't eat something in days! How could he be healthy? No, they needed to find him...

Finally he was there, after looking for a few hours. This dungeon was big, very big. And overload with prisoners in black and white, what made it extra hard.

"Ichigo!" Rukia said softly.

Ichigo looked up, when he heard his name. With disbelief in his eyes he looked at them. No, he was fascinating! It were shadows of thing he wanted to see.

"Ichigo! Please, we're here for you!" Rukia cried.

He couldn't believe it, he didn't fascinate! They were real, they were here for real. They came over here, specially for him. Even Ishida was with them, how was this possible? How could they be able to find him? To come here? And to save him?

"Y.. yes" he answered with a weak voice.

"We get you out of here," Rukia whispered.

"Im.. impossible," Ichigo said then.

"It will be possible, if we have a plan.." Ishida said.

While the five were planning, they didn't know the queen was planning a execution for all the prisoners, included them..

"Stand up!" someone ordered from the other side of the door.

Slowly, the door opened and a whole army of servants of the queen came in. All of them caught some prisoners and dragged them to a open lawn. When Rukia saw what was gonna happen, she looked to the others. Happily for her, they weren't far away from her.

"Now!" fizzled Rukia.

Ichigo couldn't help them, just like the most prisoners, they all were weak. They had been too long in this world. The prisoners whom had enough straight, assisted them.

When the most of the servants were dead, Rukia saw the queen. Immediately she came to her. She would destroy her, and with that, she could destroy the half of the powers of the servants, which lived for half on the queens powers. While everybody was fighting, Inou was healing the injured prisoners, so they could fight again. Also she tried to heal some prisoners and Ichigo who had been for more than two or more weeks.

Of course, the servants en queen came in elevation. And when Ishida and Sado saw that Rukia to fight with the queen and ten servants, they came in action. Ishida nodded to Rukia, and she knew he meant she must fight the queen, while Ishida and Sado were fighting with the servants, a.k.a. the monsters.

"So you thought you could, with all your dearly friends, destroy me... Or otherwise, my servants?" the queen laughed, "You're so wrong..."

"No, you think I'm wrong. You think you're strong, but you're weak!" Rukia yelled, and she was furious.

She started running and placed her sword in the queen, who's wound healed immediately. No, that couldn't be possible! Rukia thought. Again she made a wound in the queen, who was still laughing. Again the wounds healed.

"Now it's my turn!" the queen said, while she started her attack.

Rukia thought, there must be a way she could destroy the queen. If she did not, they had big problems... Come on, Rukia, come on! she thought and she saw the queen came closer to her, ready to attack.

Light! But there was no light in this world, at least, she thought. The queen came continuously close towards her, and she looked around her. But there was light, light in this darkness! Then she thought of the queen, who was ready to attack her. Quickly she thought, when she was on the academy, she had learned a kind of spell for light in her hands.

"Whahaha!" the queen was laughing.

No! She must do something, at least try to do something. She remembered the spell and Rukia was concentrating on it. She said the words she needed to say and she putted her hand in the air. A very big light came out of her hands and the queen was screaming of pine. Yes! It was succeeded, here in the black and white world, there was no light, because they weren't able to live in light, or actually colors... While the queen blurred away, the monsters weren't able anymore to fight the prisoners. Now it was time to go home...

"Watch out!" Inoue screamed.

With his last powers, a monster of the black and white world tried to attack them. Yes, they had found Ichigo, lonely in a cell with ten black and white monsters around him. But Ichigo's powers weren't the same as they should be.

Over about ten minutes, the gate should be open again. They needed to go now, with or without Ichigo. The monsters which tried to attack them a last time, failed and dropped down the street. Since Rukia had finishes the queen of the black and white world, the powers of every monster was attenuated.

Two minutes before the gate should be open again, a whole army of monsters came to them en tried to attack them again. It was less harmful, because Inoue had reased her barrier of protection. A terrible squall came out of the air and with that, the opening of the gate was visible.

They all walked to the gate, and while they did that, the monsters came through the barrier Inoue had made. With a speed of 12,43 miles a hour, they came descend on them. With their weird arms, they caught Ichigo. He wasn't fast enough to run, he was weak, for the first time in his life.

"Run to the gate, guys!" Rukia yelled.

And when she saw Ichigo, with a lot of monsters around him, she was making a spell. A coloured light came out of her hands and the monsters all blurred away.

"Come on, hold on!" Rukia said, with tears in her eyes.

"I'm weak, Rukia.."

"No, you're not! You need to go on, need to get healthy again! But that is only possible in our world... So, you need to go with us!"

She caught Ichigo by his hand and dragged him to the gate. Then the put out the light in her hands, and the monsters waked up again. But it was to late for them, when Ichigo and Rukia were in the opening of the gate too, the gate was going to close. The speed of the monsters now wasn't enough to follow them. So, with the closed gate, they were never able to get to a different world again. They were fated to their own world form now on.

While they were running to the other side, Rukia hold Ichigo firmly. He was close to death. She couldn't stand that, she was going to love him, no matter what... The opening of the gate was there, and the jumped in it.

"Congratulations, I never expected it should work..." Urahara smiled.

When they were on the ground Rukia looked at him, with a destroying glance. He never expected it? What a faith... She never really liked or trusted him. But, it was succeeded to bring Ichigo back, and that was enough to thank him as well.

Ichigo and she were sitting in a lawn, exactly the same lawn where Rukia, Ishida, Inoue and Sado had been before they were going to save Ichigo. And now, he was sitting next her. She was happy he was back. He was back now for a week, and also his family had missed him as well. Even his dad was glad to see him and didn't fight with him.

"Rukia?" Ichigo said gently.

"Yeah?"

Ichigo looked at her and smiled. He was – before he was taken away form her and the others – always hard to everybody, even his family since the death of his mom. But now, a whole new Ichigo came out of himself. She didn't know what exactly happened with him in the other world, but it was good and bad at the same time.

"Thank you," Ichigo said.

He came closer and he placed his hand on Rukia's. With lights in her eyes, and Rukia? She looked back.

"You're welcome" was her answer.


End file.
